Survivor
by AlexandriaSinClaire
Summary: Everything had changed since Bane's Revolution. Everything, except the need to survive. And a survivor she most certainly was. Rated M for language and graphic scenes.
1. Chapter 1

Winter descended quickly on Gotham, a frigid blanket to mask to horrid deeds it's citizens committed in a mask of pure white. Bodies scuttle about the streets, ducking from alley to alley, fleeing the light, basking in darkness.

The Revolution had come.

The "good" cowered in fear while the "evil" flaunted their superiority. Nothing was safe unless you were part of _his_ group. Mercenaries were everywhere, prisoners ran the city, public trials and executions put on shows daily. The rich were hunted down and slaughtered, brutalized and stripped of any privileges and rights they may have once had.

Alexis had never been privileged. She'd never had rights, save for those she took for herself. She was a child of the streets, born and bred in dirt and grime and blood. She'd seen it all, done it all, fought her way to survival. She wasn't particularly strong or fast, but she was smart, with the mind of a steel trap. She remembered everything she'd ever seen. She saw his patterns, saw his people's preferred paths and avoided them completely. She made herself a ghost in this new world, and that suited her just fine.

She checked her pockets once more for her weapons. A small handgun was strapped to the inside of her waist band and was easily accessible by a quick jerk. She made sure the safety was on before securing it. A knife was strapped to her thigh, another stuck in her tall boots and one more rested in a sheath along her spine. She patted one of her many cargo pockets and felt the brass knuckles there and smiled slightly. Those were a last resort as they could injure her just as badly as someone else. However, she would not go quietly into the night. She'd lived too long, fought too hard, and come too far from the dregs to go back.

She moved to step from her small home, a tiny apartment not too far from the epicenter of the Revolution, which worked well to keep her hidden, and paused at the hall mirror. She stared for a moment. She didn't look like a fighter. Long and willowy with high cheek bones and a heavy fall of unruly black hair. She wasn't stacked with muscles, she didn't have the look of a killer, with bright jade eyes, full lips and fair skin. She had an open and honest face. But then there were the scars.

Subtle though they were on her face, there was one that arched over her lip, another that slashed across her eye, and a thin stripe across her throat, a deceptively sweet smile. She touched the scar reverently and smiled softly. She'd nearly died once at the hands of another human and swore it would never happen again.

She grabbed her Kevlar vest and heavy jacket from the coat stand, slipped them on over her grey shirt and disappeared out the door. Her destination was easy enough to get to, her streets were deserted at this time of day, hardly anyone was brave enough to step outside anymore. Not to mention the Mercenaries were out in the rest of the city, razing it to the ground. She ducked into a small store and began packing non-perishable foods and toiletries into a large duffel bag. She moved quick but the sound of a boot landing in broken glass had her zipping her bag and sliding it away from her before the men rounded the corner. She adopted an innocent, wide-eyed stare as the men entered the ruined store, she even cowered a bit, pulling her jacket tighter and hiding her Kevlar vest.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" The apparent leader smirked as he stepped through the broken window and approached Alexis. She backed away from him and pitched her voice high.

"Please, please, don't hurt me." She begged as her eyes flashed from face to face. All men, no monsters. All human. No problem. "Please, I just want to survive." She added as she took another step back. Five men, all armored like her, and, she assumed, they were all armed as well, safer to assume and be wrong than not. She made herself smaller, an vulnerable target.

"Don't you worry your pretty head, sweetheart, we'll take good care of you." Another, skinnier man sneered. Her eyes flashed to him and he froze in his spot. Her gaze was sharp, piercing, and he felt it down in his bones. Something was wrong. "Uhh, boss?"

"Shut up." The leader snapped, and Alexis turned to him.

"Please, please let me go." She pleaded, clenching her hands into fists.

"Boss, something is wrong with her." The underling tried again, only to be smacked for his efforts. It was all the distraction she needed. The first of her many knifes flashed into her hands and vanished into the shoulder of the man closest to her. He yowled in pain and fell backwards, her knee landed squarely in his chest and she knocked the wind straight from his lungs and crushed his ribs.

"What the hell?" The leader yelped as he pulled his pistol and she smirked to herself. _Four, armed._ She thought to herself and her knife flashed again, this time into the side of another underling as she pulled his body in front of hers. The loud crack of shots fired and the sick crunch of bullets hitting his flesh made her pause for a second. A bullet grazed her shoulder and pain exploded through her entire right side. She staggered, letting the body fall in front of her as she tried not to hit her knees.

"That hurt." She hissed, clutching at her shoulder, blade forgotten in flesh.

"You fucking cunt-bitch!" The underling she pinned with her stare shouted and jerked a knife from his belt. She smiled through the blur in her vision as she watched his shape lunge for her. Twisting out of the way she grabbed the back of his neck and, using his own momentum, slammed him bodily into the wall. The wet pop of his spine alerted her to his demise. _Two, armed._ She counted down.

"You know, you really suck at swearing." She told the corpse. Her hands shook as she reached for her second knife. Maybe shock was setting in? Maybe it just hurt like the fires of hell. Either way she needed to end this quickly.

"Kill this bitch!" The leader ordered of his last man, who hesitated.

"Come on sweetheart, I'll take good care of you." She purred softly and both men flinched.

"She's wounded!" The leader snarled, grabbing the man by his collar and flinging him towards Alexis. He staggered, off balance, and she caught him against her side, knife at his throat. He froze in her grasp as she stared down at him with her clear, bright eyes. Leaning in close to his ear she whispered softly.

"Nothing in this world is more dangerous than a wounded animal." And with that she slipped her knife between his ribs and dropped him, groaning, to the ground. She turned to look at the last man standing and offered him a small smile.

"What the hell are you, bitch?" He demanded, reaching for another pistol and aiming it at her head. Hot blood trickled down her side now and she felt herself losing strength. That meant the wound was deeper and worse than she thought. Well hell.

"I'm a survivor." She growled, jerking her own handgun from it's holster she shot him, point-blank in the chest. He flopped pitifully and collapsed on himself, gasping loudly. She holstered her gun, slipped her knife into it's sheath and snatched her bag from it's corner.

She moved into the street quietly, pressing her thumb to the wound in her shoulder and hoping she didn't meet any more trouble. She'd always considered herself lucky, whether good or ill, she was lucky. And her luck certainly hadn't abandoned her today.

Bane.

The Revolutionary.

_Son of a bitch._

She ducked her head and held her bag a bit tighter, curling in on herself to appear weak and vulnerable, a woman fleeing for home. She glanced down the street and made to cross but a hand around her injured arm stopped her. Pain shot down her side so quickly she thought she may have blacked out for a moment. When she opened her eyes she looked up into a storm of grey.

"You are wounded." A strange voice filled her head, mechanical, raspy and smooth all at once. She blinked slowly, still partially dazed.

"Please," She began with a soft whisper. "Please don't hurt me." Those eyes, something about them, dark and calculating, intelligent. They crinkled at the corners, as if he were smiling.

"Do not play weak with me." He commanded and she tilted her head to the side. "This is a bullet wound." He lifted his head and looked down the street. "I watched my men enter, and only you exit. Do not play weak, it does not suit a warrior." She sighed softly and let a bit more of her weight hang in his grasp. She used the pain as a focus, sharpening her mind as she forced her body under her control again until she could stand again. She watched him, their eyes waging a silent war against one another, a war in which she refused to lose.

"I am not a warrior." She told him, testing his grip on her arm, it was firm, and she wasn't going to break it any time soon. She needed to rest another moment before she attempted escape.

"Oh?" he queried, brow arching high.

"No." She shook her head slowly as she pulled a deep lung full of air in through her nose and released it slowly from her lips. "I'm a survivor." His mask was too hard, it wasn't a viable weak point. His eyes would be too hard to hit as well, with the mask riding high on his cheek bones. Her eyes flashed to his throat, but the collar of his vest rode high to protect his neck. In fact, all of him was well armored all the way down to his heavy combat boots.

Very well.

She locked her gaze with his once more and smiled. Her muscles flexed and propelled her upwards in less than the blink of an eye. Her foot planted on his knee and lifted her higher, her hand gripped his shoulder and she used her agility to flip herself from his grasp and backwards over his body. Her back rolled down his and the moment her feet touched the concrete she was moving.

"Hold your fire." She heard him command as she rounded a corner into an alleyway and leapt up a fire-escape. She didn't stop moving until she was blocks away and bleeding profusely. She staggered against a wall and blood smeared behind her. She staggered a few more steps and sighed softly.

"Oh hell." She griped as she hit her knees and tried to remain, at least, upright. She shifted and leaned back against the wall and pulled her sleeve to the side. A square hit right in the center of the fleshy bit of her shoulder. "Missed vitals." She commented as she prodded the wound and wavered. "That hurts so damn bad." She grumbled as she ripped a piece of clothe from her shirt and stuffed it in the wound. "Ok, only going to work for so long. Need sterilization. Hospital is out, too open. Drug stores are owned by the mercenaries. Residential areas are the best chance. They should at least have rubbing alcohol." She ripped another strip of fabric off and wrapped it around her shoulder, pulling it tight. Pushing herself to her feet and groaned loudly and moved slowly.

"One of your parents was in the military." An increasingly familiar voice said behind her. Alexis groaned again and looked over her shoulder, granting him a droll stare.

"Fancy meeting you here." She said sweetly, not answering his question. His eyes crinkled again and she couldn't help the wry grin that twisted her lips.

"Indeed. Such a large city, and you, so small a person." He remarked idly as he moved closer to her. To tired to run again she leaned back against the wall and watched his approach.

"Makes it easier to disappear." Her gaze suddenly narrowed and she watched him like a predator. She saw him pause only for a split-second before his stride continued. _He's not used to being looked at like prey._ She thought as she watched. "You didn't come here for idle chatter. Come to finish me off?" She asked, already knowing his answer. He merely hooked his hands into his vest and stopped a few feet in front of her. _He's close enough to kill me._ She'd seen him in action on the news and first hand. He was fast, she had no misconceptions that she was faster, and certainly not stronger. She was toast if he moved for her.

"Quite the contrary. I've come to see how you survive." He said placidly. She tilted her head to the side and barked out a laugh. _Got to conserve strength. Got to get out._

"Oh I'm dead. I've died. This is too much, too odd to be real." She coughed painfully and clutched her shoulder. Her laughter wavered a bit but she didn't lose her wry smile. She looked to Bane, who was watching her with a mild expression. She slumped to her knees again and held herself up with her good arm, curling her wounded arm around her torso.

"I have to say, I am disappointed. I was expecting something more from one of the few people to ever escape me." He crouched down in front of her, _why didn't she hear him move?_ He stared down into her bright eyes and she watched him with an odd sort of clarity. She was such an odd creature, not a warrior, barely a survivor, perhaps she was as weak as she liked to play off.

Suddenly a small handgun was pressed between his eyes and he looked down at a Fury. She pushed herself up again on shaky legs, but she held her ground. He let her. She was an intriguing little thing.

"I am not here to entertain you or win your approval." She stated calmly, with no inflection in her voice. She gathered her wits about her and bowed her head slightly. "I wish you luck in your conquests." And with that she was off running again, pistol gripped tightly as she moved down the street to the residential district.

How very interesting indeed. A fascinating citizen in his cesspool of decadence and filth.

**AN:/ Hello again my darlings! First off, I haven't forgotten any of my other stories, but they've taken a bit of a back-burner status, for the moment. As for this little beauty, well, my inner feminist strikes again. I've read some amazingly good Fanfics involving Bane/OCs and holy WOW some talented writers. However, I wanted to write something with a strong female character. She's flawed and broken, and I'm not too sure if I'm going to pair her with Bane, but I am going to expound on their "relationship" in this fic. Maybe not love, per se, but there will be respect. It won't be long, maybe three or four chapters, but I want to make this intense.**

**Wish me luck! As always, thank you for stopping by to read my dearest darlings! You are always greatly appreciated and loved! Also, there is no beta, please excuse any mistakes you see, I'll try to fix them as I find them.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Alexis staggered into her home and flopped on her small couch. She didn't want to leave ever again, but she'd lost her duffel somewhere in her adventures which meant she had to, at some point. Her shoulder throbbed in time with her heart and she winced at the lingering burn of the alcohol in her wound. Since it was a deep puncture, she couldn't stitch it for fear of causing more damage, but she really wanted to. For now she had dressed the wound with paper towels and tape. She hadn't been able to find anything big enough to cover the wound, so she'd made do, but she needed better.

"I'll hit the hospital tomorrow." She promised herself as exhaustion caught up with her. She pushed herself up and wobbled to her bedroom, jerked off her armor and flopped onto the bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

The morning dawned bright and early and she woke with the sunrise. Moving to sit up she felt as though someone punched her in the shoulder, everything having grown stiff while she slept.

"Stupid body!" She cursed and pressed her fist to her forehead. Grousing more she pushed herself up and managed to take a hot shower, which burned the gunshot, but cleaned it well. She dressed her wound again and donned her clothing and body armor. She needed a vacation after this.

She tried to keep to high ground this time, as she moved through the city. Easier said than done closer to her home, but after she left the City Hall district her way was clear. Rooftops, walk-ways, she even used the top of a bus once to cross the street without anyone noticing her, so she hoped. It took most of the morning, as the hospital was in the upper section of Midtown, and she was low Downtown. As she neared the hospital, however, the buildings were further apart and it was harder to find the high ground. They'd made it more open since the Joker's attack eight years ago, for which she was both thankful and not at the moment. She would have to go to ground, which was terrible, but she did need supplies. _Why was Gotham such a magnet for the criminally insane? _

She dropped down to the street and pressed herself against a wall and waited. Few cars moved about anymore, so she had little fear of a drive-by. She waited and watched for hours, but no patterns emerged. Slowly she moved across the street and ducked into the hospital. People moved about and she stepped up to a desk with a bright smile.

"Excuse me ma'am, I have an uncle in the MICU, which floor is that?" She asked kindly of the overly plump lady behind the counter. The woman stared her down for a moment before she pointed to the elevators behind her.

"Fifth floor, down the hall on the right." And she lifted the phone back to her ear to finish her call. Alexis thanked her and moved down the hall, following signs and orderlies. She eventually found one of the many stockrooms and feigned a pacing relative until someone walked past and punched in the code. She waited another fifteen minutes before ducking into the room and barring it behind her. She pulled out gauze, ointments, antibiotics and sterile wipes, stuffing her small bag full. She waited until a lull in the traffic outside of the room before bolting out and trotting down the hallway.

She thanked the lady at the desk again, offered her a wave and a bright smile and strolled out onto the street. The wind immediately chilled her to her bones and she pulled her heavy coat tighter around her shoulders. She paused and crouched to "lace" up one of her boots while she quickly scanned the area. She didn't see anything, not really, and the Mercenaries weren't renowned for their subtlety and finesse. Three men clustered together on the opposite side of the street, seemingly barring an alleyway from prying eyes. Alexis shrugged and stood up, moving off in a different direction until she heard a soft whimper from the alley.

"Damnation." She grumbled and continued on, only to loop back when she was out of line of sight. She pulled her collar high and stuffed her hands into her pockets and moved quick, looking for the world a normal citizen trying to escape the cold. The cries were growing louder the closer she got, and she heard the grunts of frustration of an attacker. She grit her teeth in disgust.

"Hey!" She heard a voice shout and she snapped her head up, as if startled. She jerked to a stop with wide eyes as her mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise.

"I-I'm sorry." She squeaked softly as she took a step back, centering herself on her back leg. "I didn't mean to intrude." She squeaked again as they moved towards in as a pack. _Grunts, cannon fodder, possibly still armed. Mostly fat, little muscle. Watch out for short one, potential to be faster. _

"Where you goin' in such a hurry, doll-face?" The wiry man asked with a rat voice as his hand disappeared in his pocket. Her eyes flashed to his hand then back to his face as she shifted her weight slightly.

"I-I have a sick uncle. I wanted to visit him." She stumbled over her words, pitching them higher in fear.

"How sweet is that boys?" Another cackled and she heard a scream down the alleyway.

"Run!" Cried a woman's voice, but that only steeled her resolve more.

"Why, it's very sweet." She said suddenly and three heads snapped to her. "Sweeter than any of you. I bet you'd sell your own mothers." She taunted, waiting to get a rise out of one of them. She didn't have to wait long.

The wiry man lunged for her and in an instant she pushed herself forward, gaining energy from the ground as she lashed out in a front kick and caught the man square in the chest, right below the sternum. He staggered and fell backwards gasping while he clutched at his chest.

"Next." She offered with a crooked smile. One man ran and she cringed slightly. He'd tell Bane, and that was attention she certainly didn't need any more of, but she couldn't leave whomever was in the alley. Without waiting for the last one to make his decision she leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as she slowly choked the air from him. He gasped and fought, slamming her back against the wall at one point, but eventually succumbed. He landed with a thud and she rolled off him only to sprint down the alley.

A rather large brute held a small woman in front of him, stripped naked and turning blue in the cold, with a gun to her head. Alexis froze on the spot and raised her empty hands slightly.

"Let her go." She commanded softly, eyes never leaving his. He was big, much bigger than her, and a hand to hand fight would result in more injuries she couldn't afford currently. She'd have to incapacitate him, somehow, without hurting the woman.

"I don't think so." He growled and squeezed a tender throat tighter, making the woman struggle and gasp for air. A thought suddenly hit her like a freight train. She'd cause the woman injury, but they were right next to the hospital, and it would be far from fatal. The chance of survival was very high, despite the risk.

"I'm going to shoot you." She told the woman clearly only to be met with wide brown eyes. The attacker staggered back a step and squeezed her tighter. She would have to move fast.

"The fuck you say! I'll kill her first!" He yelled and flexed his hand slightly. It was a bluff, she saw that deep in his wild eyes. He was demented, but not a murderer, he liked his prey alive to remember the things he'd done. She felt her lip curling into a sneer.

"It will hurt like hell, but I promise you'll be safe." She said slowly, keeping eye-contact with the woman. Slowly, the captive nodded her ascent and squeezed her eyes shut tight. Alexis had her gun in her hand and fired before the thug could finish his scream. The bullet tore through his throat and thudded into the wall behind him. He grasped at his ruined neck and dropped the woman at his feet. Alexis was on her in a minute, jacket wrapped around slender shoulders and pulling her against her warmer side.

"Come on." She commanded, trying to keep the woman's attention on her.

"It...it burns!" She gasped and Alexis rubbed her shoulders to circulate blood.

"I know, but you'll be alright, I promise. I hurts right now, but the pain will dull." She lifted the woman a bit more against her side and tugged her across the street. "What's your name?" She asked, trying to get her to focus.

"My name?" The woman blinked lazily and was shaken back into consciousness. "I'm Marie. Marie Cooper."

"I'm Alexis. Stay awake." She commanded when Marie's head lolled against her shoulder.

"I'm tired, I just want to sleep forever." She murmured, her words slurring gently.

"You cannot sleep." She pulled them into the hospital and shouted for orderlies, keeping Marie tucked close to her side.

"What happened?" A nurse demanded as Alexis relinquished her hold.

"I found her in an alley, I think she was beaten, possibly raped. She has a gun-shot wound on her shoulder, but it's very shallow." She explained quickly.

"Did you see the attackers?" He demanded roughly and they wheeled Marie away. Alexis watched sadly.

"No, I didn't get a good look. I'm pretty certain they were Mercenaries." The man gasped loudly and stared off down the hallway.

"What a lucky woman to be alive." He murmured then moved off down the hallway after his charge. Alexis stayed in the hall for a long moment before she moved down towards the tiny gift shop. She must have wasted some time there, searching for a good gift, something meaningful. She finally picked a small heart locket and a blank card.

"What a lucky family you have! We don't honestly get many people in here." The older woman said behind the counter. Alexis smiled softly and laid her items on the counter.

"I'm sure they're too busy staying by their loved one's sides." She said gently and paid for her items, and departed for the Emergency Ward. She found a small table and smoothed the card out in front of her to stare at it for a moment.

"_Marie, I know we barely know one another, but we share a connection all people share, and beyond that. You're a survivor, like me, and don't ever forget that. Don't let yourself live in fear of man. There are no monsters and there is nothing you cannot defeat. I hope I see you again, and yet, I hope we never meet._

_Take care of yourself,_

_Alexis"_

She snapped the card shut, stuffed it into it's tiny envelope, slid the necklace in there and hunted down the nurse from earlier, asking if he would make sure she got it. He watched her for a second before smiling and promising. She bowed her head and departed.

"Miss!" He called and she turned slightly. "You're bleeding!" He said pointing to her injured shoulder. She merely grinned and shook her head.

"Nah, that's from Marie." And with that she vanished from his sight, moving with a crowd towards the door. She sighed when she got back to the street and stared at the escape route the thug took. There were no cops out there, only bodies which had probably been looted already. She shrugged and moved off toward Downtown, towards home.

It took the rest of the afternoon to get to her section of town. It would take even longer to get home because she had to circle around the City Hall District. During the day she would just cut through, but at night everyone came home for dinner. She'd have to use the streets again, the building were far too tall and too far apart to try and use to conceal herself.

She snuck through the shadows, walking down the street at points, ducking behind buildings at others, always trying to stay out of the light and be nothing more than the blur of a shadow. Finally she saw her building, but she quelled the feeling of hope. That had to wait until she was safely inside before she'd let it bloom.

"Don't get complacent." She whispered to herself as she, as quietly as possible, pulled down her fire escape ladder and slowly began to climb to her apartment. She slipped into her window in silence and peered around the darkness. Nothing looked out of order, but something prickled at the base of her neck. One man survived, which meant he'd run home, maybe he'd told them what she looked like, or what had happened. She pulled one of her knife and took comfort from the familiar weight and handle pressing into her palm.

She peeked into her small bedroom first, pushing the door open so it bumped the wall gently. She kept everything well oiled and sparse just in case there was an invader. Nothing in her closet, good. She dropped to her hands to look under her bed, but it was empty. She crawled on her belly into her living room next and crouched next to her couch. The tingle spread from her neck across her shoulders and down into a tenseness of her hands until she gripped her knife with white knuckles.

She peeked over her couch, but nothing was there, save for a large package sitting on her coffee table. She ignored it until she finished scanning the rest of her home, pushing open doors and checking little corners. Sparse made it easy, sparse made it quick, she liked that.

Finally, when she was satisfied she was alone, she flipped on a light and moved to the coffee table. The package was nondescript with brown paper and twine. However the card caught her attention and made her cringe. It was the same card she'd bought for Marie. She snatched that from the package, looked it over for a trap, and slid it open.

"_I've found you, little Ghost."_

And her blood ran cold. She stared at the package with white horror before she dashed to her closet and jerked yet another bag from the depths. Tossing it on her bed she checked it's contents and grabbed a few more articles of clothing, stuffing them in there before ripping the zipper shut and slinging the bag onto her back. A sharp pain and sudden burst of blood made her slow down as she nearly dropped the bag.

"Settle down now, take your time. You've got all the time in the world, and you won't get far with an open wound that hasn't been treated." She settled onto her couch and rifled around in her pockets for a moment before pulling out her goodies. "Shit." She cursed. She'd lost a lot of her supplies in her fight. She sighed and slumped backwards. She only had antiseptic wipes and antibiotics now. She gaze fell to the box left for her and it taunted her something awful. Leaning forward she shifted the box this way and that, examining all the sides. It was well wrapped for it's plainness, with smooth edges and lines. She pulled her knife and slowly cut through the twine tied around it, then slowly peeled away the wrapping. She stared at the box underneath it all.

"No..." She murmured as she moved to cut through all the tape and open it. Her mouth fell open. It was a box of supplies from the hospital. Anything she could ever need was piled into the box to the point of near over-flowing. A laugh bubbled up in her throat until it burbled out and she flopped back against the couch again, giggling like mad. She checked over everything, still snickering, and examined the packages for evidence of tampering. Everything was sealed tighter than a drum and she felt herself laughing again.

"What the actual hell." She murmured as she pulled out gauze, bandages and ointments to go to work on her shoulder. She washed the wound out with saline and a syringe, which caused her to growl out curses through her teeth. Dirt and grime trickled from the wound and she grit her teeth harder. She bandaged herself up slowly and tied it off tight and smiled slightly. Already it felt better. Packing everything back up again she stuff her supplies into her bag, flicked off the light, and left her small home behind.

**AN:/ Another installment! A sliver of kindness? A ploy to lure her into false security? I'll get into that more in the next chapter! I'm going to try my hand at writing a bit more of Bane in all his genius level psychosis. So yeah, there's that. Thank you all for your reviews, and everyone who's stopped in to read! You are all darlings! **


	3. Chapter 3

"She's on the move again, sir." A man said quietly from in front of a small desk with several electronic devices spread out before him. The dull green of the screen cast long shadows across his face as he stared at the small blinking dot moving through the city. He stiffened when the hulking form of a man seemed to take up all the space at his back. The mechanical hiss of his breath unnerved almost everyone, never mind the massive breadth of his body. His presence was overwhelming.

"So she is." He remarked idly. Storm clouds watched the little green dot as it flickered down a street only to dart around a corner, double back, and move off in a different direction. He smirked behind his mask as he felt the surge of the predator's drive through his blood. His quarry was fast and smart, he had no doubts that she would provide him with a good chase.

"Sir?" A small voice piped up beneath him and he turned his face towards the technician. A quirked brow invited the man to continue. "Why her, sir?" A rattling, hissing laugh was his answer as Bane straightened and hooked his fingers into his vest. Crooked from years of brawling, broken and healed and broken again, held in defense of himself. It did not feel natural to allow his arms to hang limp at his sides anymore.

"Do not lose her." He ordered as he turned and strode away, grabbing a small hand-held tracker as he passed.

* * *

Alexis trotted down a long alley, her bag slung loosely over her good shoulder as she scanned the area for people. There was a bounce in her step that had been absent for many years as she leaned around a corner and peered down the street. She watched as a young man crouched next to a storm drain and seemingly pulled something out.

Not the strangest thing she'd seen lately. Her hand moved to the small card that rested in the side pocket of her pants. Certainly not the strangest. She waited for him to tie up whatever it was he was doing before she moved across the street and down a small side street. She jogged down the next road and scanned the buildings. She had made her way to the richer section of Downtown and scanned the area for abandoned homes. She jogged past one place with the door swung wide and she paused and jogged back.

"Hello." She said, drawing out the 'o' as she mounted the steps and peered inside. It was a wreck. Hall tables had been over-turned and broken, scattering papers around the area. The walls had been kicked in at some points, and doors hung off their hinges, as if ripped violently from their frames. She sighed softly and moved slowly through the house. This had obviously belonged to someone of some wealth. She crouched down and picked up a broken frame, flipping it over she stared down at the happy family frozen in time. A young son grinned from ear to ear between his parents as he clutched a baseball in his small hands. The father had his arms wrapped around his family as his wife gazed lovingly down at their son. Her heart clenched angrily in her chest and angry tears burned high in her nose, nearly blinding her before she shook her head and set the picture down. She did not have time to feel.

_An older man crouched in front of a young Alexis as he tucked a strand of hair gently behind her ear. "Four men were walking down the street when we were in the park. What did they look like?" He asked as he stood and began pacing in front of her. She watched him with wide eyes as she wracked her brain._

"_But, daddy, they were so far away!" She said but he merely paused and stared down at her until she hung her head. Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to pull the image to her mind. "Four men, average height-"_

"_Specifics." He demanded. She sighed again._

"_The tallest was...maybe six feet? The shortest was five..." She huffed and opened her eyes. "I can't do this!" Her father crouched in front of her and grabbed her shoulders roughly, making her wince._

"_You must! You have to learn to protect yourself. You must recall everything. You must always analyze everything around you. You have to see every strand that makes up the world around us. Now, how tall was he?" And he began to pace again._

"_Five feet four inches." She said finally and looked up to her father. He merely nodded and she continued. "Darker skin, but still Caucasian, they spend a lot of time in the sun. They were maybe in their late teens, nothing but street thugs." She finished and smiled at her dad. He gazed at her for a minute before he shook his head slightly._

"_No bedtime story tonight. We'll try again tomorrow." He turned suddenly and left her alone in their small kitchen. Her lip quivered pitifully before she slid into a chair and rested her head on the table._

"_What did I forget?" She whispered to herself._

Alexis moved through the rest of the house, picking through things, checking locks on doors and rifling through what was left. There wasn't much. The house had been picked bare by the Mercenaries long before she'd stepped foot on the premises. She locked one of the bedroom doors and tried to jiggle it open, but it held fast. She smiled slightly.

"Well, it would give me time to get up and get out." She muttered as she began to putter around the room and rearrange things. She shifted a large dresser in front of the door, made a clear path to the window and curled her rope on the floor by her exit. Nodding at her work she set about fixing up the bed. She pulled sheets and fluffy comforters from closets and piled them on the bed. Since the house had been wrecked and there was no power, it was cold in the dead of winter, but with so many blankets she'd be nice and toasty.

She paused slightly as she moved about the room as her gaze caught the very large bathroom connected to the bedroom. Biting her lip she slid into the room and a sigh of contentment whooshed from her lungs. The tub was a very large garden tub, complete with jets and massage settings. For some reason the Mercenaries had mostly left this room alone, only going to far as to rifle through drawers and over turn a small decorative table. She slid back into the bedroom to make sure the dresser was pressed firmly against the only easily accessible entrance before she slipped back into the bathroom.

Not expecting a trap, but checking for one anyways she ran her hands over the bathtub and even stuck her fingers gently into the faucet.

"Please work." She murmured as she turned the knob and almost laughed when water rushed out. She waited a minute for it to heat and steam filled the small room quickly. She squealed quietly to herself and did a small happy dance before stripping off her clothing and sinking, gratefully, into the hot bath. She hissed as the hot water touched her wound, but relaxed even more as the muscles began to relax in her shoulder and feeling rushed back to her fingers. She worked each digit slowly and frowned.

"I hadn't even noticed..." She muttered as she rubbed more feeling into her skin. Satisfied with her work she slumped down further into the water and partially submerged herself. Weightless she hung as her heart thumped rhythmically in her ears, the beat of a solid drum. She listened as air rushed into her lungs, giving her buoyancy, before she released the breath and sunk completely. Her hair waved in front of her face and she watched the ceiling through a haze of blackness. It was peaceful in the quiet. She often wondered if this was how death felt. In no hurry to find out she acknowledged the slow burn in her lungs.

She pushed herself up, breathing deeply once her head broke the water. She laid back against the tub and let her eyes close slowly.

"How very curious." Bane murmured and she groaned. _Really, he was human, right? How do I never freaking hear him?_ "The survivor trying to drown herself." She opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. She was surprisingly becoming comfortable in his presence. She knew he could kill her at any moment, but she never felt that from him. Every killer had that presence, that energy that they could snuff you out without a thought or care. He had it, oh he had it, but it was calm, controlled, held at bay by an incredible will. So she thought, anyways.

"It's peaceful, in the deep." She said softly, still not looking at him. She knew where he was without looking. His energy washed over her in tidal waves that pulsed and ebbed against her. She paused slightly at her train of thought. She hadn't acknowledged the things her mother had taught her in years. Perhaps because it had all sounded like crazy hokum, but in the presence of this man, she should look into such things again.

"Oh yes?" He asked, moving closer so he sat next to the tub now. She finally slid her gaze to his face and watched him with curiosity burning behind her eyes. She had never been comfortable with people near her, especially while she was so vulnerable and all her warnings screeched in her head at once. Still, she did not move.

"Yes. Weightless and surrounded by silence and life. It's a nice distraction." She explained gently as his thick, calloused fingers dipped into the water of the tub. She looked down at her body, red from the heat, and perhaps other things she would acknowledge probably never.

"You need distractions, little ghost?" He muttered, swirling the water at the edges of the tub. She blinked slowly and tried to drag her mind from the quagmire it seemed lodged in. _Oh that son of a bitch._ She turned to look up at him, willing her head to stay upright.

"I've always wondered why the mighty hunter, the ruler of this city bothered to acknowledge the little ghost in his town who posed no threat to his rule." He withdrew his fingers and she saw the vial tucked into his glove. She couldn't help but grin.

"We all have distractions. You've proven intriguing, since you escaped me that first night. You've given me an interesting hunt as a distraction from the tedium of this wretched city. However, all hunts come to an end." She tried desperately to move her fingers, but her body felt weighed down, heavy, like it didn't belong to her anymore. She sighed and allowed her body to relax more into the water, slowly sinking into the depth.

"Well," She said softly with a bit of a smile, "I suppose it was a good run." Suddenly arms plunged into the water and hoisted her up none too gently before her head went under. She flopped, wet and naked and cold against his hard chest plate as her head lolled back. He moved quickly through the house, grabbing her bag and clothing and wrapping a fluffy blanket around her.

_What the actual hell?_ She thought blearily as she bounced against his chest with his long, even strides.

Bane held the woman close, her weight was nothing to him, but it surprised him how light she was. She was a ghost, a living ghost wrapped in his arms, frail and weak and maddening. He would study her, learn her tricks. He would pick apart her mind, feast on her knowledge. He would finally enjoy his little distraction.

"...sorry...for his men..." She murmured in her drugged daze and he glanced down at her. Her eyes were unfocused and glassy, but he knew it wouldn't last. He could already see that fire deep in her gaze, ready to set him ablaze from from his core and burn him to ashes.

"Don't fret little Ghost. You are safe, for now." He rumbled at her unsure if she could truly understand him but when she buried her face in his chest with a soft sigh, he knew she could well enough.

**AN:/ Woo, howdy all! Sorry that took so long. I've been doing a lot of medical, and other, research to make this as accurate as possible. But aside from that, this is a project I have full intentions of finishing, so fret not if you've invested anything into this story. It might take a while, but it shall be done! Anyways, enjoy your fluff darlings. *smile*  
**

**Edit: Ok, got around to editing and changing around this chapter a bit. Fixed some things, made it smoother, so I hope.**


	4. Chapter 4

The world swum around her in a strange, intangible sort of way. It reminded her of the way light trails after it's source in the dark, only to disappear before you can write your full name. She'd never been able to. Write her name, that is, she'd only ever been able to get the first few letters before it trailed away into nothing.

Where was she?

"_The world is full of energy, sweet love."_ Oh yeah, with her mother. _"Everything ebbs and flows with this energy, even people. You can learn from this energy, learn to feel it, use it."_ No, her mother was dead. _"Learn to read people, they are the most fascinating of all. Constantly at war with themselves."_ Yeah, but he wasn't. Wait.

Blurry sights met her eyes as she tried to look around the dimly lit room. It was dark and damp as water roared in her ears. Odd humanoid shapes moved in and out of her line of sight and she groaned softly. This wasn't her house.

"_Reach out and feel him."_ What the hell? She blinked slowly and tried to focus. Darkness washed over her vision and swallowed her whole. She sighed gently and wrapped herself in the dark, reveled in it and allowed herself to rest.

* * *

Bane watched her sigh in her sleep, watched as her lips moved, like she was dreaming. She turned towards him as she slept and reached, stretched slender, calloused fingers towards him. The tips of her fingers touched his mask and lingered there as her eyes fluttered open briefly and locked onto his. Her smile was sudden and brilliant and it struck him in the heart with such force it nearly winded him. Her eyes closed again and her fingers slipped from his mask to curl next to her face and sleep claimed her again.

"So many interesting tricks." He murmured and gently lifted a strand of hair from her face. She sighed softly at the contact and leaned into him. He froze as she pressed her nose against his palm and inhaled softly, breathing in his scent. She let out a soft breath against his hand and curled tighter around herself, closer to him.

_Not prey, and not a predator. Inside burns a wild fire, beautiful...uncontrolled destruction...and life. You make no sense, little one, none at all._ He thought idly as he continued to watch her, fascinated and unable to look away. There was something in her that hooked him, drew him in in a way he had never known before. Not even with his beloved Talia. She was his to guard, to protect, and he was hers to command, to use. But this...something tugged inside again and he growled and pushed away.

"I will learn your secrets." He hissed before he stood and left her to work out the rest of the drug from her system, courtesy of Dr. Crane, of course.

He strode from the room with long steps and renewed purpose. He barked orders at his men and growled at anyone who was too slow in responding. His fist connected with the jaw of some unknown lackey who stepped a little too close and sent him spinning to the ground.

His mood did not improve even when he visited City Hall as Crane conduced his deranged proceedings in his mad court. Bane watched silently as people were tried by the dozens, all sentenced to death by exile, and Crane giggled.

"A fair court." A soft voice said behind him and Bane turned slightly to glance over his shoulder. She was quiet, she'd learned that much from her father, but she was no Ghost.

"A fair sentencing." He replied and she smiled slightly, crossing her arms and propping against him like someone would to a wall. He was a good tool, with many uses to conform to her every need. From the moment he'd saved her, he'd known this. He'd been at peace with this. Now it slithered down his spine, crawled along his skin like spiders. He did not like being unsure about anything.

It irked him.

"You are cross today." She remarked as she looked up at him through long lashes and he can only watch silently. "It is not distracting you, is it?" She asked sharply and he could not help but feel like a child being scolded. His ward, his charge, his light to protect and he is chided. He scowls behind his mask and turned his face from hers so that she would not see.

"I gave you my word. I will not fail." He cannot help the growl that rumbled from his chest as he speaks and suddenly there is a light pressure against his mask. He looked down into her sweet face and sighed gently as her fingers traveled to his brow and he's struck, again, with how soft and smooth they are. She had trained, been beaten, broken, but never made hard.

Gripping her fingers gently in his calloused hands he pulled her away slowly. She stared up at him with doe brown eyes and he sighed. "I will get back to work." He murmured before pulling away and striding off silently.

_His_ Talia. All light and beauty with soft lines and a sweet face. He tried desperately to save her, and now she played at war. Her cause was noble, and her mind was keen with plots and schemes, but she was too soft for a warrior. He hissed a mechanical sigh as he made his way back to the sewers and his safe haven.

The sight that greeted him sent him reeling, though he showed no outward sign of this. Gathered around a small poker table sat his men, guns slung at their sides, cards clutched in their hands as his little Ghost robbed them all blind.

"What is this?" he asked as he approached. His men leapt to their feet, stiff as boards and trembling slightly as he approached. Alexis didn't move, but she smiled up at him like a wolf.

"Poker. Join us." She quipped and he could only stare.

"It's a trick." One of his men spoke quickly, head up but eyes downcast. Bane raised a brow and waited. "She's a cheat."

"Am not!" She snapped as she jumped to her feet, all righteous indignation. "You just can't play to save your sorry lives, or your sorry wallets." Amusement rose in Bane's chest as he watched this exchange, and he was partially grateful for his mask to hide it all.

"Little ghost, you do not need to harass my men." He said, though there was little weight behind his tone. She gave him a sharp look and he smiled behind his mask, the irritation in his chest letting go so suddenly it left him reeling.

"Harassment is them trying to pester me while the sedatives aren't fully out of my system yet." She jabbed her finger harshly at a man who's eye was blooming with an impressive bruise. Bane glared at the man in question before turning to the group and growling.

"Fortunately I'm very good at making friends." She said with a smile that was anything but nice. Some of the men shuffled around the table, but he saw no hostility in their movements. Somehow, with force and candor, she had won over his mercenaries. Something rose inside him and his rage burned hot and sudden.

"Back to work." He barked as his men tripped over themselves to rush to their posts. He grabbed her wrist suddenly and jerked her behind him. She staggered once before gaining her balance and trotting to keep up with him.

"Why aren't you afraid?" He demanded as he tossed her into a side room. She stumbled once more before she spun to face him and excitement thrilled down his spine. _That fire._ It burned so bright that it nearly blinded him as her anger flared around her.

"Why should I?" She demanded as her eyes flashed dangerously. She was no match for him, she knew that, he knew it, so why challenge him? Her fire ignited in his chest, and he felt himself shiver with anticipation.

"You've been caught. You're my prey, my captive, mine to do with as I will." He said as he stalked towards her small body. She frowned and it twisted the scars on her face into something of a terrifying mask. Just like his.

"You think I am so easily caught?" She demanded with a harsh bark of a laugh. "You're mercenaries are push-overs when it comes to a pretty face. And you...you are no more than a _man_." She hissed the word with disdain as she took a step towards him, aggression marring every smooth line of her little body. His backhand caught her square in the jaw and sent her tumbling to the ground. He followed like some terrifying giant but she rolled and was on her feet in an instant.

"I have never been only a man." He said softly as he stalked her across the room. He reached for her again but she ducked away from him, spinning on her heel until she was behind him. Her knuckles found the back of his neck, lashing out at the terrible scar hidden there. Pain exploded behind his eyes but he only laughed and turned towards her.

"There are only men." She snapped with venom when he grabbed her wrist and tossed her like a doll into the opposite wall. Her head cracked into the stone and she slumped to the ground in a daze as he approached slowly. He would not rush this. This beauty, this glorious moment as he drank in the heat. It would be his to treasure always, a fire to burn for the rest of his days.

His fingers closed over the scar the wrapped around her throat and he slowly lifted her into the air. Sharp nails anchored into his flesh as she kicked her legs up to lock him in an arm bar. Her strength was no comparison to his, but she jerked quickly throwing her weight behind it, briefly popping his elbow from it's joint, and he dropped her out of surprise.

"And the monster that gave you that smile?" He demanded as she dropped to a crouch in front of him, only to lash out so her foot connected with the side of his knee. He allowed the limb to crumple so he captured her leg underneath his weight and she growled.

"He died as any man would...begging." Her hand lashed out in a vicious open-hand slap right for his eye, but it was much to slow, much too predictable as he caught her hand in a crushing grip. She was trapped, or so he thought until she used his own grip to pull herself forward, wrenching her leg from under him until her weight slammed into his chest and she tackled him to the ground. She sat on him, one hand drawn back to strike, the other pressed into the hollow of his throat.

She stared down at him with such fierceness shining in her eyes he almost didn't see the fear buried beneath and carefully hidden. He laughed softly and tilted his head to the side to watch her.

"And you did not. You survived. Exacted revenge." He said slowly, watching her face. She frowned slightly, a small dent forming between her brows.

"No. I didn't. 'Revenge is a business with no room for profit.'" She said as if quoting, letting her fist drop. She slowly climbed from his chest and flopped down in front of him, resting her arms on her bent knees.

Bane decided to let it drop. He had all the time in the world to learn all he could about her. He sat up and hunched over, hunkering closer to her. Physical appearance had rarely moved him, but he took a moment to study her. He didn't focus on her hair, or the shape of her face, but the tone in her arms and legs, the muscles that shifted and moved subtly beneath her skin. She had been beaten, battered, torn down to nothing and build up again...but never broken. She wasn't born of darkness like he was, but it had molded her, shaped who she was into what she is now.

He could not help but think she was beautiful.

"Ghost." He found himself murmuring and she lifted her gaze to his. She smiled slightly, tentative and unsure, but sincere. "You will train my men. Seeing as you are not my captive, you will make yourself useful." She laughed loud and full.

"And what can I teach these men?" She asked.

"How to not be a _sucker_ for a pretty face."

* * *

**AN:/ This chapter...you guys. I rewrote it a million times and I still hate the damn thing. Oh well, there is some cuteness in there, which helps. I don't want an abundance of fluff 'cause, let's face it, it's Bane. Boy did he run away with this chapter, I blame AvalontheLadyKiller for the prompt ^.^ Thank you dear!**

** If there are mistakes, please don't hesitate to inform me, I would appreciate it. Thank you all for stopping by to read! **

**Also, I figured out spacing! *does a happy dance***

**Edit: I only made some minor changes, but it was something that bugged the crap out of me.**


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